Emelie is a slow-burn thriller that is
extremely efficient in building tension and suspense, keeping me captivated
until the letdown of an uninspired final act. Without the strength of Sarah
Bolger’s convincing performance as the title character, a psychotic young woman
disguised as an average middle-class family’s new babysitter, Emelie would have been far easier to
dismiss before the screenplay’s shortcomings failed the film. Instead, I was so
impressed with the set-up of the narrative, it made the lackluster final reveal
that much more disappointing. It builds wonderfully for more than half the
run-time before reaching a monotone plateau act, ending with a whimper when it
should have been a bang.